Electric clock.



No. 733,159. PATENTED JULY 7, 1903. U. LOOLLINS.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1902.

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No. 733,159. PATENTED JULY 7, 1903.

U. L. COLLINS. I

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1902.

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U. L. COLLINS. ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12., 1902. H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETSSHEBT 3.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ULYSSES L. COLLINS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; ASSIGNOR TO COLLINS ELEC- TRIO CLOCK COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION fma part of Letters Patent No. 733,159, dated July 7, 190s.

Application filed May 12,1902. Serial No- 107,050. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ULYSSES L. COLLINS, of the city of St. Louis, State of'Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electric Clocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My object is to construct an improved automatic electric clock; and my invention consists of a U-shaped magnet-core, the inner faces of the ends of said core being arcs of a circle to form magnetic poles and a part of one core being cut away below the pole-face to form air insulation; windings upon said core as required to form an electromagnet; frame-posts extending laterally from the center of said core; side frames extending upwardly from the ends of said posts; a post connecting the upper ends of said frames; braces connecting oneof said frames to the ends of said U-shaped core; an armatureshaft mounted in said frames; an armature rigidly and adjustably mounted upon said shaft, the faces of the ends of said armature being arcs of a circle and fitting between said pole-faces and said armatu re-faces being elongated; a clock-springconnecting said armature-shaft to the frame; a ratchetwheel mounted loosely upon the armature-shaft by the side of the armature, there being a slot in said ratchet-wheel; a pawl carried by the armature for driving said ratchet-wheel forframe to engage said ratchet-wheel and hold it from moving backward; a driving gear mounted loosely on said armature-shaft; a second clock-spring connecting said ratchetwheel to said driving-gear; a driving-pin fixed in said driving-gear and operating in the slot in the ratchet-wheel; clock-gearing connected to said driving-gear; a latching-bar pivotally mounted in a horizontal position with its free end passing under the armature shaft; a latch-pin projecting from the armature in p0 sition to engage said latching-bar; a springbrush mounted in a substantially vertical position, said latching-bar serving to hold said brush from its electric contact and hold the circuit open after the clock has been wound by the operation of the armature and said latching-bar serving to release the brush and make the electric connection to wind the clock; an electric terminal mounted in position to be engaged by said brush, said terminal being insulated from the frame; a brushtripping fork pivotally mounted parallel with the armature and eccentric to the armatureshaft, one prong of the fork beinglonger than the other; a tripping-pin extending from the fork behind the brush; a spring connected to the fork, so that the point of connection will pass back and forth on the opposite side of the pivot of the fork from the fixed end of the spring, so that the fork will snap back and forth to break the electrical connection quickly and if the battery is too weak to wind the clock said latching-bar serving as a stop to be engaged by the latch-pin to limit the backward motion of the armature, and a forkoperating pin extending from said armature and adapted to alternately engage the prongs of said fork, there being lost motion between said pin and said prongs to allow the fork to snap. g

I desire to callespecial attention to the fact that after the armature has moved forwardly to wind thespring the circuit is opened with a snap motion regardless of the speed of the armature. I

Figure l is a side elevation of an automatic electric clock embodying the principles of my invention and taken in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front elevation taken in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view analogous to Fig. 2 with the front frame removed, the clockworks being broken away. Fig. 4 is the reverse of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the armature-brush and latching-bar. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the brush-tripping fork. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the line of the armature-shaft, showing the clock-springs and theirconnections. Fig. 8 is a detail showing the second clock-spring connecting the ratchet-wheel to the driving-gear. and the slotted connection limiting the action of the clock-spring. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail showing the connection between the minute and hour hands and their driving-shaft on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a view showing the armature in its normal deenergized position and showing the latch-pin in engagement with the latchingbar as required to unlatch the brush and as required to limit the backward motion of the armature. Fig. 11 is an elevation of the armature and adjacent parts on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the U- shaped magnet-core 11 has the pole-faces 12 and 13 at the inner sides of its ends, said faces being arcs of a circle, and has cut-away portion 14 below the pole-face 12 to form air insulation between the neck 15 of the core and the armature. The frame-posts 16 and 17 extend laterally from the center of the core 1.1, and the side frames 18 and 19 extend upwardly from the outer ends of said posts, and the upper ends of said side frames are connected by the post 20.

The braces 21 and 22 connect the upper ends of the core 11 to the side frame 19. Windings 23 are mounted upon the core, one upon each arm below the braces 21 and 22, as required to form the electromagnet. The armature-shaft 24 is mounted in the side frames 18 and 19,and the armature 25 is adjustably mounted upon the armature-shaft 24, the adjustment being secured by means of the set-screw 26, and the faces of the ends of said armature being arcs of the circle and fitting between the pole-faces 12 and 13 and said faces being elongated by the lips 27 to increase the area of said faces. A clock-spring 28 connects the armature-shaft 24 to the frame. Aratchetwheel29is loosely mounted upon the armature-shaft close beside the armature, there being a slot 30 in said ratchetwheel. A pawl 31, carried by the armature, engages the ratchet-wheel 29 to drive said ratchet-wheel by the operation of the armature, and a retaining-pawl 32, carried by the upper end of one of the frames of the core, engages the ratchet-wheel 29 to hold said ratchet-wheel from backward motion.

A driving-gear 3.3 is loosely mounted upon the armature-shaft, and a driving-pin 34, carried by said driving-gear 33, operates in the slot 30 of the ratchet-wheel 29 to limit the motion of said driving-gear relative to said ratchet-wheel.

A secondclock-spring connects the driving-gear 33 to the ratchet-wheel 29, the inner end of said spring being attached to the hub of the ratchet-wheel and the outer end being attached to the pin 34, thus providing a means of continuing the movement of the clock-train while the armature is moving forwardly to wind the first spring. A train of clock-gearing, beginning with the wheel 36, is connected to the driving-gear 33. A latching-bar 37 is pivotaliy mounted in a horizontal position, with its free end extending under the armature-shaft 24, and a latchingpin 38 projects from the armature in the position to engage said latching-bar and raise the free end of the bar upwardly to release the brush 39 and if the battery is weak form a stop to prevent further backward motioli of the armature.

A spring-brush 39 is mounted in a substantially vertical position, with its free end in position to be engaged by the end of the latching-bar to hold the brush away from its electric contact and hold the circuit open; The electric terminal 40 is mounted in position parallel with the latching-bar 37 and is insulated from the frame, the forward end of said terminal being bifurcated, as indicated by Fig. 5, to receive the knife-edge carried by the brush 39. When the brush is held away from the terminal 40 by the latchingbar, as shown in Fig. 5, the circuit is open and the magnets are denergized, and when the pin engages the latching-bar to move it upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 10 the brush 39 springs toward the terminal 40 and the circuit is closed.

The brush tripping forkcomprising the prongs 41 and 42 is pivotally attached to the side frame 19 in front of and eccentrically to the armature-shaft 24 and the tripping-pin 43 extending from the rear end of the fork inwardly behind the brush 39. The curved connecting-rod 45 is attached to the fork below its pivot and extends upwardly past said pivot, and the spring 46 connects the upper end of said rod 45 to the frame, so that the point of connection to the fork will pass back and forth on the opposite side of the pivot of the fork from the point where the spring is attached to the frame, as required, to make the fork snap back and forth, thereby moving the brush to open and close the circuit quickly. The fork-operating pin 47 extends outwardly from the side of the armature to alternately engage the prongs 41 and 42, as required, to rock the fork back and forth by the operation of the armature, there being lost motion between said prongs 41 and 42 and said spring, as required, to allow the fork to snap back and forth. The prong 41 is shorter than the prong 42, as required, to allow the pin 47 to pass downwardly without engaging the end of said prong 41 after the fork has been operated sufficient to move the brush and open the circuit, as shown in Fig. 1.

The eccentric location of the brush-tripping fork-pivot relative to the armature-shaft makes the short prong 41 appear to be located out of the path of the fork-operating pin 47, and so it is when said prong is in an elevated position in which it is shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6; but the lower and longer prong 42 is always in the path of the said pin and ready to be moved thereby as the said pin moves downwardly. In moving downwardly the said pin passes the short prong without touch- IUO ing the same; but as the downward movefrom. The operating-circuit comes from the line 49 to the frame, then to the brush 39, and when the brush is in contact with the terminal 40 the circuit will pass through the terminal 40 to the magnet-wire 50, then through the windings 23 to the wire 51 and to the terminal 48, then over the wire 52 to the generator.

The train of clock-gearing is of an ordinary construction and need not be described in detail. When it is desired to wind the spring 28, the set-screw 26 is loosened and a key is placed upon the squared end 53 of the armature-shaft 24, and the spring is wound to any desired extent. Then the set-screw 26 is tightened and the clock is ready to run.

As soon as the electric circuitis closed the armature will be attracted by the pole-faces and moved to ahorizontalpositiomas shown in Fig. 3. This operation winds the clock-spring substantially a quarter of a turn. As the armature moves to a horizontal position, the fork-operating pin 47 will engage the prong 41 and move it upwardly, causing the pin 43 to force the brush 39 away from the terminal 40, thus breaking the circuit and allowing the latching-bar 37 to drop down behind the brush 39 and hold the circuit open. Then the clock will run until the armature again assumes a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 10. As the armature draws to a vertical position, the pin 47 will engage the prong 42 and push it downwardly,'and the latching-pin 38 will engage the latching-bar 37, raise it upwardly, and release the brush 39, thus closing the circuit.

During the time that the armature is moving forward by the magnetic force the clock is being driven by the spring 35, and this saves any loss of time; otherwise the clock might loose a second every time the armature was energized. The distance which the armature will move by magnetic force depends upon the power of the generator; butit does not make any difference how far the armature moves, because the shorter the distance moved each operation the oftener the operations.

A pin 54 extends inwardly from the side frame 19 to engage the shoulder 55 upon the fork carrying the prong 41 to limit the upward motion of the prong 41.

I claim 1. In an automatic electric clock, the combination of an armature mounted to be moved in one direction by a clock-spring and in the opposite direction by magnetism; a terminal adjacent the armature; a spring-brush mounted in position to engage said terminal; a brushtripping fork pivotally mounted parallel with the armature but eccentric to the armatureshaft, one prong of said fork being longer than the other; and a fork-operating pin extending from said armature and adapted to engage one of said prongs to move said fork in one direction, and to engage the other prong l h C) to move said fork in an opposite direction, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic electric clock, an armature pivotally mounted to be driven backward by a clock-spring and forwardly by magnetism; a terminal mounted adjacent to the armature; a spring-brush mounted in position to engage the terminal; a brush-tripping fork mounted ecoentrically in relation to said armature; a pin extending from the fork behind the brush; and a pin extending from the armature to engage either prong of the fork, substantially as specified.

3. In an automatic electric clock, the com bination of an armature mounted to be moved in one direction by a clock-spring and in the opposite direction by magnetism; a terminal adjacent the armature; a spring-brush mounted in position to engage'said terminal; a brush-tripping fork pivotally mounted parallel with the armature but eccentric to the armature-shaft, one prong of said fork being longer than the other; a fork-operating pin extending from said armature and adapted to engage one of said prongs to move said fork in one direction, and to engage the other prong to move said fork in an opposite direction; a tripping-pin extending from the fork behind the brush; and a spring connected to the fork so that the point of connection will pass back and forth on the opposite side of the pivot of the fork, substantially as specified.

4. In an automatic electric clock, an armatu re pivotally mounted, and driven backward by a clock-spring, and forwardly by magnetism; a terminal mounted adjacent to the armature; a spring-brush mounted in position to engage the terminal; a brush-tripping fork pivotally mounted in the frame; a pin extending from the fork behind the brush; and a pin extending from the armature to operate the fork as required to move the brush away from the terminal when the armature is energized, substantially as specified.

5. In an automatic electric clock, an armature-shaft rotatably mounted; an armature mounted upon the shaft; a terminal mounted beside the armature; a brush mounted in position to engage the terminal; a latching-bar to hold the brush away from the terminal; a pin extending from the armature to operate the latching-bar to release the brush; and a brush-tripping fork pivotally mounted in the frame, and having the pin engaging behind the brush so that when the fork is operated by the energizing of the armature, the brush will be forced away from the armature to break the circuit, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ULYSSES L. COLLINS. 

